ZSW Ulm Relies on ZwickRoell for Fuel Cell and Battery Research

The non-profit foundation Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) was established in 1988 with locations in Stuttgart and Ulm, Germany. The objective: accelerate the translation of basic research findings in the field of renewable energies and electrochemical energy conversion into marketable applications and transfer them to industries.

The ZSW is currently one of the leading German research institutes with around 350 employees and 100 students in Stuttgart and Ulm. The ZSW conducts business-oriented research in the field of sustainable energy technologies, including wind energy, photovoltaics, batteries, hydrogen, fuel cells and policy consultation. The research factory for hydrogen and fuel cells (HyFaB) with a focus on fuel cell manufacturing technology and tests of fuel cells and components as well as a the Center for Battery Research (eLaB) with a focus on lithium and post-lithium technologies are located in Ulm.

HyFaB combines science and industry to advance the industrial production of fuel cells. “Our research ranges from material and component development to system integration, validation and recycling processes. Specializing in PEM fuel cell stacks up to 150 kilowatts, we have been operating our leading European test center with near 50 fully automated test stands up to 250 kilowatts since 2001,” says ZSW board member and Head of the Electrochemical Energy Technologies division, Prof. Dr. Markus Hölzle. In addition, hydrogen filling stations are inspected in Ulm and hydrogen specimens are analyzed in the HyLaB hydrogen quality laboratory set up specifically for this purpose.

Mechanical, electrical and thermal tests on fuel cell materials at HyFaB

At the Research Factory for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (HyFaB) in Ulm, ZwickRoell testing machines are mainly used for mechanical, electrical and thermal testing of fuel cell materials. Characterization is relevant in both the through-plane (TP) and in-plane (IP) directions. Pressure, compression, tensile, bending and shear tests are sometimes carried out for this purpose. In the field of production research (ECP), for example, the adhesion of accumulator active material coatings on copper and aluminum foil is tested.

As the gas diffusion layers in particular are very thin (approx. 200 µm) and highly compressible (up to 50 percent at the operating point), there are a number of challenges when carrying out the tests:

The path must be measured very accurately, ideally in the µm range. In addition, thin GDL layers with electrical currents and heat flows typical of fuel cells result in only small potential, or temperature, differences. Testing fuel cell materials also requires special test conditions: Measurements must be carried out at temperatures around 80 °C (and up to 160 °C) and sometimes at relative humidities of up to 100 percent.